Education
Frida Lindström, Trainer/Instructor of the Year 2025
Trainer/Instructor of the Year
FEIF recognizes the importance of instructors and trainers in our community. These talented, dedicated individuals are essential to growing the Icelandic horse breed in terms of both popularity and utility all within the scope of FEIF’s mission. FEIF established an “Trainer/Instructor of the Year” award in 2016 to acknowledge the outstanding teachers and trainers in the community.
Each year, FEIF invites the member countries to nominate one individual as their trainer/instructor for the year. The countries are free to choose any criteria to select their candidate. However, the candidates must all be listed in FEIF Horse Trainers and Riding Instructors list. All the candidates are listed on the FEIF Facebook page and the community is asked to choose their favorite.
The winner is announced at the annual FEIF Conference the following year. Winners receive a free entrance ticket to either Landsmót or the World Championships depending on the year and a trophy.
Accommodation:
Each participant is responsible for their own accommodation and it is NOT included in the seminar price. However the biggest accommodation providor in Sauðárkrókur offers special deal for participants of the Education Seminar – only bookable through this email: info@arctichotels.is with reference to the seminar.
Travels:
Each participant organizes their own travels to and from Sauðárkrókur – however there will be buses that bring us from Sauðárkrókur to Hólar and back on Thursday afternoon.
We look forward to seeing you in Skagafjörður end of September for inspiring, fun filled and educational days with collegues and friends followed by a weekend of horsepacked activity for those that choose to stay a little longer!
Photo: Anna Lena Phillips, photo competition 2023
Within FEIF, education is organised at a national level. Each national association manages its own educational system for the learning of riding and horsemanship for Icelandic horses. The FEIF Education Department aims to standardize national educational matters at an international level. Training pathways for riding instructors are different for individual membership countries. These requirements vary based on national requirements, culture and history.
Some countries use a modular system for trainers, while other countries require would-be trainers to attend college, or even university-based training courses.
The FEIF Education Department has created a system which allows the seamless recognition of qualifications and skills for instructors across all member associations, by using a list of competencies at various levels that is expected as a minimum standard.
The Matrix
Each level of the FEIF Education Matrix is defined by a set of minimum competencies shared by all countries that an instructor and trainer is expected to demonstrate. The Education Matrix maps four levels of instructor competencies. These share a comparable set of skills without having followed a joint syllabus or programme.
- Level 1 Instructors are able to teach beginners and leisure riders in basic riding skills and gaited riding with a strong emphasis on horsemanship, keeping, handling and riding the Icelandic horse.
- Level 2 Instructors are able to teach leisure riders, as well as competition riding up to intermediate level. This qualification may – but does not always – include proven competencies in the training of young horses.
- Level 3 Instructors are able to teach at all levels, in different types of sport and breeding events. This qualification includes proven competencies in the training of young horses at an advanced level.
- Level 4 instructors are international experts, able to teach and train other instructors, trainers and judges as well as horses and riders at all levels.
Trainer of the Year
See who was trainer of the year in the past years
Get in touch
Contact the Education Committee or find an education leader
Information
Get the latest documents from the Education department.
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